Nano-enabled Energy Conversion, Storage and Thermal Management Systems
(NEXT) Group
Director: Dr. Ronggui
Yang, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Office
Location: ECME 279, Engineering Center
Student Office:
ECME 219,
Student Labs:
ECME 165, DLC 1B14, ECSL 111 & 113
Tel:
303-735-1003 (O); Fax: 303-492-3498
People Research Publications Facilities Open Positions News
A)
FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS:
1. Current
Ongoing Research Projects:
49. DOE/ARPA-E: Advancing
Insulation Retrofits from Flexible Inexpensive Lucid Materials (AIR FILMs) for
Single-Pane Windiows, PI: Ivan Smalyukh,
Co-PI: Ronggui Yang, total: $1.80M + $150K (CU Matching), Yang’s share:
$0.60M, 09/01/2016-11/30/2018
48. Texas Instruments Inc.: Phase Change Cooling using Flexible Thermal Ground Planes for High-Power Applications, PI: Yung-Cheng Lee, Co-PI: Ronggui Yang and Ryan Lewis, $150K, 09/01/2015-08/31/2018.
47. DOD/FlexTech
Alliance: Flexible Hybrid Electronics-Manufacturing Innovation Institute (FOA-RQKM-2015-0014). PI
for CU Team: Ronggui Yang, et al, total request of
federal funding for CU: $2.0M, along with $2.0M Cost-Share from CU,
09/01/2015-08/30/2020.
46. NSF: Collaborative Research: Ultrafast Phonon Lifetime Spectroscopy on 2-D Transitional Metal Dichalcogenides, PI: Ronggui Yang with Mark Siemens (collaborative PI at the University of Denver), $140,000, 09/01/2015-08/31/2018.
45. DOE/ARPA-E: Radiative Cooled-Cold Storage Modules (RadiCold), PI: Ronggui Yang, Co-PI: Xiaobo Yin, with subcontract to Gang Tan (University of Wyoming), total: $3.00M + $158K (CU Matching), Yang’s share: $1.30M, 07/31/2015-07/30/2018.
44. DOE/ARPA-E: Thermoregulatory Clothing System for Building Energy Saving, Subcontract to Cornell University (PI: Jintu Fan, Total: $3.0M), Yang’s share: $540K+$27K (CU Matching), 04/27/2015-04/26/2018.
43. DOD/DARPA: Mean Free Path Distribution of Phonons in GaN, GaN-on-SiC, and GaN-on-Diamond Devices, PI: Ronggui Yang, $494K, 05/13/2015-05/12/2017.
42. DOE/ARPA-E: Carbothermal Reduction Process for Producing Magnesium Metal Using a Reduced Pressure Hybrid Solar/Electric Reactor, Co-PI with Professor Al Weimer (PI) and David Clough, Department of Energy (ARPA-E), Total: $3.6M (+ $400K University Matching), Yang’s Share: ~15%, 01/01/2014-12/31/2016.
2. Completed
Research Projects:
41. Colorado AIA, Flexible thermal ground planes for smartphones and tablets,
$150,000, Co-PI with Professor
Yung-Cheng Lee (PI) and Li-Anne Liew (Co-PI) and Ryan
Lewis (Co-PI), Advanced Industry Accelerator Program by Colorado Office of Economic Development and
International Trade (OEDIT), Total: $150K + $50K (CU matching), 07/01/2014-2/29/2016, completed.
40.
Google Little Box Challenges: Ultra-High Power Density Inverter with Extreme
Efficiency, PI: K. Afridi, Co-PIs: D. Maksimovic, R.
Erickson, and R.G. Yang, $30,000, 12/01/2014-08/30/2015, completed.
39. DOD/AFOSR STTR AF13-AT07 Phase I: A High Repetition Rate and High Voltage Nanosecond Pulser with Variable Pulse Width Control, Subcontract to Eagle Harbor Technologies (Dr. Tim Ziemba) for AFOSR STTR program, PI: Ronggui Yang, $75K out of $150K total, 01/01/2014 – 09/30/2014 completed.
38. NSF: Student Poster Symposium at the ASME International Mechanical
Engineering Congress and Exposition (ASME-IMECE); San Diego California;
November 15-21, 2013; National Science Foundation, PI: Chris Hanson and Ronggui Yang, $45,992, 08/15/2013-07/31/2014, completed.
37. DOD/SBIR MDA13-022 Phase I: Thermal Ground Planes for High Power Solid State Lasers, Subcontract to i2C Solutions (Dr. Mike Hulse) for DoD MDA SBIR Phase I Program (MDA13-022), CU Budget: $35K out of $150K total, 01/01/2014-09/30/2014 (Phase II awarded), completed.
36. DOD/AFOSR SBIR AF131-013 Phase I: Conformable
Thermal Ground Plane for Fiber Laser Amplifiers, Subcontract to i2C
Solutions (Dr. Mike Hulse) for DoD AFOSR SBIR Phase I Program
(AF131-013), CU Budget: $15K out of $150K
total, 10/01/2013-3/31/2014 (Phase II awarded), completed.
35. DOD/AFOSR STTR AF10-BT26 Phase II: Quantum Dot Nanocomposite-Based Novel Thermoelectric Materials, PI: Ronggui Yang, Subcontract to ADA Technologies (Dr. Sayan Naha) for AFOSR STTR Phase II Program (AF09-BT22), CU budget: $225K out of $750K total, 10/01/2012-09/31/2014, completed.
34.
Gift Fund: Thermal Management Technologies for High Power Electronics, PI: Ronggui Yang, $20K, LSI International, 12/01/2012-.
33.
DOD/AFOSR/STTR AF09-BT22 Phase II: Thermoelectric material-coated carbon
nanotubes as high conductivity thermal interface materials, PI: Ronggui Yang, subcontract to ADA Technologies (Dr. Sayan Naha), CU budget: $225K out of $750K total,
04/01/2012-03/31/2014, completed.
32.
DOE/NREL: Experiments and modeling of nucleate
boiling in pool and spray impingement boiling with and without enhanced
surfaces, DOE/National Renewable Energy Lab, PI: Ronggui Yang, $225K with reduced
overhead, 11/01/2011-11/15/2014, completed.
31. DOD/AFOSR: Modeling and Characterization of Phonon Transmission and Generation across Engineered and Strained Interfaces for Developing Structure-Property Relations of Functional Nanostructures, PI: Ronggui Yang, $465K, AFOSR, Duration: 06/15/2011-12/14/2014, (including 6-month No-Cost Extension), completed.
30. NSF: CAREER: An integrated research and education program on nanoscale thermal transport: developing a high spatiotemporal resolution photo-thermal microscope, National Science Foundation, PI: Ronggui Yang, $400K (+ $60K university enhancement award), 02/01/2009-01/31/2015 (including one year No-Cost Extension), completed.
29. DOD/SBIR DTRA 122-002 Phase
I: Conformal Thermal Ground Planes, CU PIs: Y.C. Lee and Ronggui
Yang, subcontract to i2C Solutions Inc, $100K total
award with $50K subcontract to CU, 04/01/2013-12/31/2013, completed.
28.
Investigation of Thermal Characteristics of C-Textiles for Heating &
Cooling Garments, PI: Ronggui Yang, $30,000, QinetiQ
to DARPA iMINT Center, Duration:
02/01/2011-05/01/2011, completed.
27. DOD/AFOSR STTR AF10-BT26
Phase I: Quantum Dot Based Novel Thermoelectric Materials, PI: Ronggui Yang, subcontract to ADA Technologies, CU budget:
$35K, Duration: 06/15/2011-3/15/2012, (Phase II awarded, see #35), completed.
26.
Equipment Fund for Enhancing Research Capability and Competence, University of
Colorado, PI: Ronggui Yang, $100,000, 10/01/2010 -. completed.
25.
NSF MRI: Development of a Coherent and
Incoherent X-Ray Facility at JILA: Ultrafast X-Ray Science and Technology at
the Nanoscale, NSF, PI: Margaret Murnane, Co-PIs: Ronggui Yang, Ralph Jimenez, and Henry Kapteyn,
NSF $1.28M, CU/NIST Matching: $550K, 09/01/2010-08/31/2013. completed.
24. DOD/DARPA: Molecular
Layer Deposition-Enabled NanoThermal Interfaces
(M-NTI), DARPA BAA09-25 (MTO Office-wide Seedling), PI: Ronggui
Yang, Co-PIs: Steven M. George, Y.C. Lee, and Victor M. Bright, $400K, Yang:
$160K, July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011, 1 summer month, completed.
23.
DOD/DARPA: Modeling and Characterization of Quantum Dot Thermoelectric
Nanocomposites, CU PI: Ronggui Yang, sub-contract to Marlow
Industries for proposal “High Performance Thermoelectric Quantum Dot Microcoolers (Marlow PI: Jeff Sharp, total ~$3.9M)” to DARPA BAA 09-44 (Active Cooling
Modules), CU Share: $306K, 07/01/2010-06/30/2012. completed.
22. DOD/AFOSR STTR AF09-BT22
Phase I: Thermoelectric material-coated carbon nanotubes as high conductivity
thermal interface materials, PI: Ronggui Yang,
subcontract to ADA Technologies, CU budget: $30K, 07/01/2010-03/30/2011, (Phase
II awarded, see #33), completed.
21. DOD/DARPA Center on Nanoscale Science and Technology for Integrated
Micro/Nano-Electromechanical Transducers (iMINT Center), Co-PI with Y. C. Lee (PI) and 10
other Co-PIs, submitted to DARPA RA 09-42 (N/MEMS Fundamentals), total: $5.0M from DARPA, Ronggui
Yang: $70K per year, 07/01/2010-06/30/2013. completed.
20. Novel Silicon/NixSn1-x Core-Shell Nanowires for Superior High Capacity and Long Lifetime Lithium-Ion Batteries, PI: Ronggui Yang, University of Colorado Innovative Seed Grant, Total: $41,200, 07/01/2009-06/30/2010, completed.
19. A micro-scale hybrid wick heat pipe cooling system for high concentration photovoltaic cell, University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office Energy Initiative Proof of Concept Grant, PI: Chen Li, Co-PIs: Victor M. Bright, Ronggui Yang, Y.C. Lee, Total: $50K, 04/01/2009-03/31/2010, completed.
18. DOE/NREL: Modeling and experiments in the nucleate
boiling regime in the context of power electronics cooling, DOE/National Renewable Energy Lab, PI: Ronggui Yang, $175K,
10/01/2008-09/30/2011, completed.
17. DOD/DARPA: Surface Plasmon Enabled High Efficiency Thermoelectric Devices, DARPA MTO Young Faculty Award, PI: Ronggui Yang, $150K, 06/01/2008-11/30/2009, completed.
16. DOD/AFOSR: A Design tool for nanostructures with tunable thermal properties, AFOSR (BAA 2007-08 Discovery Challenge Thrusts), PI: Ronggui Yang, Co-PIs: Kurt Maute and Martin Dunn, $600K, 03/01/2008-11/30/2010, completed.
15. DOD/DARPA: Flexible thermal ground plane with
micro/nano wicking structures, DARPA (BAA 07-36
Thermal Ground Plane), PI: Y.C. Lee, Co-PI: Ronggui
Yang, Chen Li, Victor Bright, G.P. “Bud” Peterson, and Suraj
Rawal, $4.0M, Yang: ~$1.0M, 03/01/2008-11/30/2011. Completed.
14.
Nanowire-based metamaterials for miniaturized antennas, DARPA iMINT Center Seed Grant, PI: Won park, Co-PIs: Ronggui Yang, Y.C. Lee,
and Pavel Kabos, T. Mitch Wallis, Jim Booth,
Total: $50K, Yang; $0, 04/01/2008-03/31/2009. completed
13. NSF MRI-Consortium:
Acquisition of a Supercomputer by the Front Range Computing Consortium,
National Science Foundation (Award #0821794), one of ~50 CU Faculty Participants with PI Henry Tufo, $4.0M, Yang: $0, 8/1/2008 - 7/31/2012. completed
12. Nanocomposite thermoelectric materials development and
characterization, Lockheed Martin Corporation, PI: Ronggui
Yang, $50K, 10/25/2007-11/15/2008. completed
11. NSF: A design-centered approach to nano-engineering,
National Science Foundation, PI: Kurt Maute, Co-PIs:
Martin Dunn and Ronggui Yang, $329,957,
09/01/2007-08/31/2011, completed.
10. Understand the building with your eyes: building
and environment science
and technology visualization Lab. CU-Engineering Excellence Fund, co-PI with John Zhai.
$26,695, 05/01/2007-04/01/2008. completed
9. Unrestricted gift fund, $6,000, 10/15/2007 ~.
8. DOD/AFOSR: Energy harvesting and storage systems and
their integration into AF aero vehicles, Air Force Office of Scientific
Research - Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (AFOSR-MURI); PI:
Minoru Taya, Co-PI with 8 other co-PIs, total: $6M, CU: $1.50M, Yang: $500K,
05/01/2006-04/30/2011. completed
7. NSF: Measurement of thermal transport in nanostructures using EUV pump-probe systems, National Science Foundation; PI: Ronggui Yang (Funded through the NSF Engineering Research
Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology - NSF EUV ERC), $50-70K
annually, 05/01/2006-09/30/2013. completed
6. DOD/DARPA iMINT Center
Core Research: ALD-enabled packaging for integrated MEMS/NEMS, DARPA Focus Center on Nanoscale Science and Technology for Integrated Micro/Nano-Electromechanical
Transducers (iMINT), PI: Y.C. Lee, co-PI: Ronggui Yang, $100K annually, 09/01/2006-08/31/2009, completed.
5. NSF:
Constructing a femtosecond nanometer resolution photo-thermal imaging system
using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) to study nanoscale thermal transport, National
Science Foundation; PI: Ronggui Yang, Co-PI: Margaret
Murnane, $94,919, 09/01/2006-08/31/2007. completed
4. Photonic
crystal fiber based micro capillary pumped loops, CU Technology Transfer Office
Proof of Concept Grant (POCg); PI: Ronggui Yang, $12,500, 12/01/2006-05/31/2007. completed
3. Photonic
crystal fiber based micro heat pipe arrays and capillary pumped loops, CU
Engineering Dean’s Seed Fund for Novel Ideas; PI: Ronggui
Yang, Co-PIs: Y.C. Lee and Victor M. Bright, $10,000, 06/10/2006-12/31/2006. completed
2. Unrestricted gift fund, $15,000, 08/15/2006 ~, completed.
1. University
of Colorado Start-up Funds: Equipments +
Discretionary, PI: Ronggui Yang, $410K + student
support, 01/2006 – 01/2009, completed.
B).
RESEARCH AWARDS (to PI Professor Ronggui Yang):
2015 Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME)
2014 Marquis Who’s Who in America (from 69th and subsequent editions).
2014 ITS Young Investigator Award, International Thermoelectric Society (ITS)
2013-2017 S.P. Chip and Lori Johnson Faculty Fellow of Engineering, CU-Boulder.
2013 Outstanding Research Award, Department of Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder
2013 JSPS Invitation Fellow (Short Term), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
2012 Provost's
Faculty Achievement Award, Office of the Provost, CU-Boulder
2011 Steve Woodward
Outstanding Faculty Award, Department of Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder
2010 ASME Bergles-Rohsenow
Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer (The Bergles-Rohsenow
Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer is given to a young engineer who is
under 36 and has received a Ph.D., or an equivalent degree in engineering.
Citation for this award: For developing modeling and
experimental tools to understand micro/nanoscale thermal transport and for
innovative applications of micro/nano-structure in
macroscale forms for energy conversion and thermal management. ASME
Press Release)
2010 Dean’s
Award for the Outstanding Junior Faculty Member, College of Engineering and
Applied Science, University
of Colorado
2010 Biography featured as a technology developer with outstanding potential that could reverse the decline in the book “The Rise and Fall of American Technology” by Dr. Lynn G. Gref.
2009 National Science
Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award (the National Science Foundation's most
prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of
teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the
integration of education and research within the context of the mission of
their organizations.)
2009 Selected as one of the
<100 Invited Participants, the US National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) 15th U.S.
Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. US
NAE Press Release.
2008 Technology Review’s TR35 Award (one of the 35 young scientists and technologists in world who are under the age of 35, but their work--spanning medicine, computing, communications, electronics, nanotechnology, energy, and more--is changing our world.) TR35 Profile, US AFOSR Press Release, CU Press Release
2008 DARPA/MTO Young Faculty
Award (one of the 39 rising stars in university microsystems research), DARPA Press
Release, CU
Press Release
2008-2011 Sanders Faculty
Fellow,
2008 Outstanding Research
Award, Department of Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder.
2008 Nominated for IEEE/ACM William J. McCalla ICCAD 2008 Best Paper Award by the conference
organizers of the 2008 International Conference on Computer-Aided Design
(ICCAD).
2005 Best Paper Award –
Research, InterPACK 2005 (the ASME/Pacific Rim
Technical Conference and Exhibition on Integration and Packaging of MEMS, NEMS,
and Electronic Systems), 1 out of 500+ papers.
2005 Goldsmid
Award for Excellence in Research in Thermoelectrics,
International Thermoelectrics Society.
2004 NASA Certificate of Recognition for a
Technical Innovation (Space Act Tech Brief Award), NASA Inventions and
Contributions Board.
2003 Elected full member of Sigma Xi, the
Scientific Research Society.
C). AWARDS RECEIVED BY
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